NEETZoologyPrinciples of Inheritance and Variation
How did Henking’s observations contribute to the understanding of sex determination?
Options
- AHe discovered the role of mitochondria in sex determination
- BHe observed that the X body was actually a chromosome
- CHe found that X bodies were responsible for mutation
- DHe proved that sex determination was environmental
Correct answer
B. He observed that the X body was actually a chromosome
Step-by-step solution
Henking (1891) could trace a specific nuclear structure all through spermatogenesis in a few insects, and it was also observed by him that 50 per cent of the sperm received this structure after spermatogenesis, whereas the other 50 per cent sperm did not receive it. Henking gave a name to this structure as the X body but he could not explain its significance. Further investigations by other scientists led to the conclusion that the ‘X body’ of Henking was in fact a chromosome and that is why it was given the name X